Mónica Machón1, Isabel Mosquera2, Isabel Larrañaga3, Unai Martín4, Itziar Vergara1. 1. Unidad de Investigación de Atención Primaria-OSIs Gipuzkoa, San Sebastián (Guipúzcoa), España; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Biodonostia, San Sebastián (Guipúzcoa), España; Red de Investigación en Servicios de Salud en Enfermedades Crónicas (REDISSEC), España; Kronikgune - Centro de Investigación en Cronicidad, Barakaldo (Vizcaya), España. 2. Departamento de Sociología 2, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y de la Comunicación, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Leioa (Vizcaya), España; OPIK - Grupo de investigación en Determinantes Sociales de la Salud y Cambio Demográfico, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Leioa (Vizcaya), España. Electronic address: isamosqm@gmail.com. 3. Departamento de Salud, Delegación Territorial de Gipuzkoa, Gobierno Vasco, San Sebastián (Guipúzcoa), España. 4. Departamento de Sociología 2, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y de la Comunicación, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Leioa (Vizcaya), España; OPIK - Grupo de investigación en Determinantes Sociales de la Salud y Cambio Demográfico, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Leioa (Vizcaya), España.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine socioeconomic inequalities in health in the older population in Spain. METHOD: A systematic search and review of the literature published between 2000 and 2017 in English and Spanish was conducted in Social Science Citation Index, Sociology Database, Scopus, PubMed and Embase. Primary and secondary studies analysing these inequalities in Spain were included. Two researchers were responsible for the selection of the studies and the extraction of the information (first author, year of publication, region, design, population/sample, socioeconomic and health indicators used, and main results). RESULTS: A total of 89 articles were included, corresponding to 87 studies. Of the studies, 81.6% were cross-sectional, 88.5% included only non-institutionalised population and 35.6% were carried out at a national level. The studies analysed social inequalities in the following health indicators: functional status (n=29), morbidity (n=19), self-perceived health (n=18), mental and emotional health (n=10), cognitive status (n=7), quality of life (n=9), mortality (n=15) and life expectancy (n=2). Socioeconomic inequalities were detected in all of them, although the magnitude varied depending on the socioeconomic and health indicator used. The educational level and the ecological indexes were the indicators that detected more inequalities in health. The impact of inequalities by sex was different in functional status, morbidity, self-perceived health, mental and emotional health and mortality. CONCLUSION: There are socioeconomic inequalities in health among the elderly population and their magnitude varies by sex in some of the health indicators. The increase in educational level and the maintenance of sufficient pensions can be key policies that contribute to the reduction of inequalities in this population group.
OBJECTIVE: To examine socioeconomic inequalities in health in the older population in Spain. METHOD: A systematic search and review of the literature published between 2000 and 2017 in English and Spanish was conducted in Social Science Citation Index, Sociology Database, Scopus, PubMed and Embase. Primary and secondary studies analysing these inequalities in Spain were included. Two researchers were responsible for the selection of the studies and the extraction of the information (first author, year of publication, region, design, population/sample, socioeconomic and health indicators used, and main results). RESULTS: A total of 89 articles were included, corresponding to 87 studies. Of the studies, 81.6% were cross-sectional, 88.5% included only non-institutionalised population and 35.6% were carried out at a national level. The studies analysed social inequalities in the following health indicators: functional status (n=29), morbidity (n=19), self-perceived health (n=18), mental and emotional health (n=10), cognitive status (n=7), quality of life (n=9), mortality (n=15) and life expectancy (n=2). Socioeconomic inequalities were detected in all of them, although the magnitude varied depending on the socioeconomic and health indicator used. The educational level and the ecological indexes were the indicators that detected more inequalities in health. The impact of inequalities by sex was different in functional status, morbidity, self-perceived health, mental and emotional health and mortality. CONCLUSION: There are socioeconomic inequalities in health among the elderly population and their magnitude varies by sex in some of the health indicators. The increase in educational level and the maintenance of sufficient pensions can be key policies that contribute to the reduction of inequalities in this population group.
Authors: Juan M Pérez-Salamero González; Marta Regúlez-Castillo; Manuel Ventura-Marco; Carlos Vidal-Meliá Journal: Int J Equity Health Date: 2022-07-14
Authors: Sergi Blancafort Alias; César Cuevas-Lara; Nicolás Martínez-Velilla; Fabricio Zambom-Ferraresi; Maria Eugenia Soto; Neda Tavassoli; Céline Mathieu; Eva Heras Muxella; Pablo Garibaldi; Maria Anglada; Jordi Amblàs; Sebastià Santaeugènia; Joan Carles Contel; Àlex Domingo; Antoni Salvà Casanovas Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-01-14 Impact factor: 3.390